


Goose Let Loose On An Unsuspecting Carnival

by HyperKid



Series: Press Y To Honk [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Soulmate Goose of Enforcement, Angst, Fluff, Minor Dissociation, Other, Pre Show, Soulmates, big sad Yasha hours, they/them Mollymauk, yeet the tiefling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26185411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperKid/pseuds/HyperKid
Summary: There’s only so long you can keep going without a purpose. The Storm Lord gave Yasha drive, but she needed something more. Something to come home to.Enter: a horrible goose.
Relationships: Circus buddies - Relationship, Yasha Nydoorin & Mollymauk Tealeaf
Series: Press Y To Honk [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901563
Comments: 10
Kudos: 48





	Goose Let Loose On An Unsuspecting Carnival

**Author's Note:**

> HK: Look this is entirely laraanita’s fault. They said cursed words.  
> Mollymauk: What, “the rest of the Nein”?  
> HK: Yup. I had absolutely no choice.  
> Mollymauk: Crimes, certainly. But you’ve been wanting to do this scene for a while.  
> HK: And the geese are just... apparently the most perfect plot foil? In case you’ve not heard of this AU, it boils down to “geese know who your soulmate is and will chase you until you run into them”. And I love it.  
> Mollymauk: Using the classical definition of soulmates rather than the modern romantic?  
> HK: Yes, because I am a massive nerd. Soulmates are the person who transform your life. Dating is optional.  
> Mollymauk: Sometimes you just lead them into adventures.  
> HK: Far more exciting all round really. 
> 
> WARNINGS!! Yasha is still Big Sad and fresh from waking up at a Storm Lord shrine. Dissociation, depression, despair ensue. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one but I am calculating how many days are in an Exandrian “two months” from sheer spite

Yasha Nydoorin wasn’t sure how long she’d been walking. 

There were roads, but she largely ignored them. There were villages, even some small towns, but she did her best to avoid them. She was used to surviving in the wastes, living off whatever the land provided. 

She was getting used to following storms. Sometimes she’d just get the feeling, all the hair rising on her arms, or just a whiff of ozone. Sometimes lightning would crack in a clear sky and she’d know where to go. 

Sometimes a storm would blow out of nowhere, loud and powerful and soak her to the bone as she walked. 

All of it was better than... what she left behind. Anything that seemed like a direction, a goal, another step away from her past was a blessing. She felt like a balloon, drifting untethered from the world. Some days, she wasn’t even sure she was real. 

She was in a different land now. The people still spoke Common, but they spoke it with strange accents, used words and phrases she wasn’t familiar with. The houses were different too, what little she’d seen of them in Xhorhas. 

One day a crack of thunder whispered that she was in the Dwendalian Empire. 

It didn’t seem to matter. Her feet couldn’t keep still for a day or more, desperate to outrun the unknowns that might be chasing her. There probably wasn’t anything immediately on her trail. She’d not... 

She’d not seen anyone from home since she left. Not that she remembered. And if she had returned home and slaughtered them all in that time she couldn’t remember, she couldn’t say she’d be sorry. It wasn’t them she ran from. 

It was the memories. Memories of her cowardice, her failure, her inability to keep the one she loved safe. But it was other memories that were the worst. 

Happiness. Memories of the good times, of her Zuala, of being young and in love and revelling in the joy of it. Every one cut like a knife to her heart, twisting to split her in half. There were days that she almost wished she’d lost her whole life in that unknown stretch where she remembered nothing. 

Now, all she did was walk. Go where the Storm Lord needed her, where his lightning guided her. If she didn’t get a direction from him, she’d pick one of her own and keep walking. Roads were dangerous for most travelling alone, but then most weren’t six feet tall and almost as broad with a sword taller than many of the people in this new land. 

Highwaymen tended to take a pass. 

When the goose began to follow her, Yasha thought nothing of it. She knew of course, knew the stories that the large birds could see your other half, would drive you to your soulmate if you came too close. 

But her soul’s mate was dead and buried, and there was no chance of finding her again. 

Something in the bird’s broad wingspan reminded her of her own, and she assumed that perhaps it felt that kinship instead. It was enough to keep her from trying to eat it. Geese were a lot of work, and she really wasn’t familiar with how to butcher or cook one. They were rare in the swamps of Xhorhas, only ever seen in connection to the legends. 

She’d been half convinced the birds didn’t actually exist until she’d heard a man selling then in a town she passed. And yes, she’d been curious, and stopped long enough to look. And then her wandering feet carried her on and away. 

The goose wasn’t bad company really. It was lean for such a large bird, powerful, and walked alongside her as she made her way through the woods. Yasha found herself smiling when she looked and realised it was still there. 

Her voice ached from lack of use, and she had to clear her throat twice to get out a recognisable word, but after the first hour she managed a soft “hello.” 

The goose looked at her for a moment and kept walking, almost shepherding her along. Stifling a laugh, Yasha let herself be guided. 

“Are you taking me somewhere?” She asked quietly, skirting the edge of a large forest. The goose honked conversationally back and she gasped, startled by the sound. Startled and delighted. 

She hadn’t spoken to anyone aloud in so long. 

“You can come with me if you like, but I don’t have any food,” she told the goose, and it honked companionably back. She imagined that was its way of agreeing, saying that it didn’t need her food. 

For the best, really. She had no idea what a goose would eat. 

“If you know somewhere around here that we could get dinner, that would be nice,” she added almost as an afterthought, laughing when the goose stopped as though considering the question. 

Then it honked again and stuck its long neck out, peering around and stepping suddenly towards her, the movement firm and authoritative. Yasha stepped back automatically and the goose gave another loud honk of what seemed to be approval. 

Fighting a grin, she glanced around behind her and pointed. 

“This way?” She asked, and the goose honked again, spreading its wings and flapping as though to push her in that direction. 

“Alright, alright,” she laughed softly, turning to begin heading in the direction the goose indicated. Its feathers settled back, wings tucking in as it fell back into step beside her. 

“You know, I can do that too,” she told the goose as they walked, still skirting the edge of the forest as it came around what seemed like a farmer’s field. It honked again in that more casual, friendly way, and she imagined it was politely asking. “I can. You can’t see them all the time like yours, but I have my own wings.” 

Yasha paused, glancing back down at her companion, a slightly wistful look on her face. 

“I wish that mine were so fine and beautiful as yours, though. They are rather scraggly.” 

The goose honked again and raised its own wings, flapping them in demonstration. Not bothering to fight her smile now, Yasha duly admired them, pausing with the goose. 

That didn’t seem to be the right move. As she stopped the goose hissed, lowering its neck and flaring its wings wider into a threatening position. Yasha hesitated for a moment and it charged at her, startling her into jumping back again. 

It hissed louder, head down, and advanced. Shaking her head but still smiling, she began to walk again, faster as the goose hissed at her heels. 

“Alright, alright! I’m going! If there were anyone out here I would think you were looking for someone.” 

And then she looked up. 

Saw the tents. 

Froze in place. 

And got a sharp bite on the ass that set her moving again. 

“Ow! Hey! I could still work out how to cook you!” 

The goose honked loudly at her, flapping its wings hard and she hurried forward, hands raised to keep her fingers out of biting range. 

“You’re wasting your time,” she grumbled, reaching back to rub at her sore butt but snatching her hand away again as it got another honk. “I thought we were looking for food?” 

The goose honked again and Yasha rolled her eyes. There was a faint smell in the air now, something hot and cooking. 

Well, whoever was in the tents, they clearly had food. Lots of people from the size of the encampment. They might have enough to spare. 

Perhaps she could trade them the goose for a meal. Geese were lucky in a variety of ways. 

As she drew closer her curiosity grew. These tents were mostly small, but more brightly coloured than any she’d ever seen before. One truly massive tent was staked at the edge of the camp and she could hardly imagine how they’d raise such a thing. It was taller than most of the houses around. 

She was close enough now to see people moving amongst the tents. Just like home, they seemed to largely be elves, humans, or of the smaller humanoid races. Yasha was no good at telling them apart yet, there weren’t... fuck, there weren’t even many elves where she lived in Xhorhas. 

All of them shared a similar look though, one of guarded suspicion at odds with their bright and cheerful clothing. They were watching her now, pausing in ones and twos to stare as she was herded towards them. 

Seeing the goose did nothing to dispel their wariness, and a large half orc man stepped out as she got closer, putting himself between her and the camp. 

“Have you come to see the show?” He asked gruffly, powerfully muscled arms folded across his chest. “We’re not performing til the day after tomorrow.” 

A show? She wanted to ask, but when she opened her mouth to introduce herself, the goose honked loudly, cutting her off. She shot it an annoyed glare, still moving, not wanting another bite. 

“I’m sorry,-“ “HONK” “-it won’t-“ “HONK” “- leave me -“ “HONK” “- alone!” She was trying to move sideways now, not wanting to get too much closer or make the man uncomfortable. The goose heartily disapproved, wings flapping furiously as it ran to corral her back onto course. 

A slight smile tugged at the corner of the man’s mouth. 

“Looking for someone special?” He grunted, and Yasha shrugged helplessly, dancing back away from the goose. 

“Not intentionally...” 

“HOOOONK!” The goose bellowed, rearing up to flap at the man now too. He chuckled softly and shook his head, stepping back out of the way. 

“Not me, apparently. You may as well come through. I’ll be watching you though. No causing trouble.” 

“No trouble,” Yasha agreed gratefully, falling in beside him. Appeased, the goose settled back down, wings tucking into its body. “I don’t suppose you know how to make it go away,” she grumbled, and the man laughed. 

“You can grab it by the neck and throw it, but it’ll come right back. Be bloody furious too, and those wings can break your arm. Best just go on through as fast as possible and see where it takes you.” 

It was rather strange, being “led” by an animal that refused to be anywhere but behind. Any deviations from a path that only the goose could see were met by a loud hiss, a honk, or a quick snap that made her skip away. 

The rest of the people seemed to have gathered by now, watching curiously as the loud spectacle came closer. Yasha hesitated half a heartbeat before another loud honk spurred her forward. 

There were maybe a dozen people present, but it seemed a huge crowd after so long alone. 

The threat of a sharp beak in her butt was the only thing keeping her moving. She could feel every single eye on her, and all of a sudden all thoughts of food were replaced with a desire to leave. To get away, somewhere no one would look at her or care. 

Her predicament with the goose did seem to be causing some amusement, but most of their faces were distinctly unfriendly. Any attempts at conversation were met by more hissing, but at least it wasn’t honking anymore. 

There weren’t many people Yasha had to look up to, but her large guide was among them. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to...” she waved a hand helplessly, unsure how to describe the situation. He gave her a companionable slap on the back, more comfortable as he’d observed her more. 

“It happens. How we got our KyIre. Just let the goose do what it wants and then you can move on if you want to. Or you can stay for the show, if you have two copper.” He gave her a knowing look from the corner of one eye and her cheeks flushed. 

“What kind of show is it?” She asked, all but burning with curiosity. She couldn’t even begin to imagine, everyone she saw looked so... vibrant. Especially compared to her own monotone. 

The half orc raised a hand and a small dwarven girl ran forward, thrusting a pamphlet at Yasha. The goose hissed at her and Yasha moved quickly to cut it off before it could bite at her too. The girl gave Yasha a grin and darted back out of range. 

The pamphlet was as brightly coloured as the people around them. 

“The Fletching And Moondrop Carnival of Curiosities?” She read slowly, looking quizzically up at the large man again. He nodded, spreading his arms expansively. 

“I’m Bo the Breaker. Not a performer like these fine folk, but you won’t see a finer show in all your life. Worth every copper you have, but you can get in for two.” 

They were getting closer to another group now, a pair of almost identical women stood side by side. They might have come up to Yasha’s waist. 

The goose honked at them too and they darted back, never more than arm’s length from one another. Yasha tried to give them an apologetic smile, but neither seemed impressed. 

She did want to see the show. It sounded wonderful, different than anything she’d ever even heard if before. A trawl of her pockets produced a couple of interesting stones, some lint, and a single lone copper that she was almost afraid to present to Bo. 

Abruptly she realised she still hadn’t given him her name. 

“I’m Yasha,” she said quickly, wondering if when she stopped she could dig around in her bag and find a few more. It wasn’t like she’d been spending much money, avoiding towns, but then she hadn’t had much to start with. 

Gold wasn’t of much use when all she wanted was to put one foot in front of the other. This was the first time she’d really missed it in all her months of wandering. 

Another loud honk from behind made her jump, almost dropping the one copper she had. She thrust it out to Bo quickly, skipping forward a few steps while he fought not to laugh. 

“I... think this is all I have,” she admitted quietly, shooting another glare at the goose. A thought occurred to her. “I asked it to help me find food. Could that be why we’re here?” 

Bo gave her a look that was just... not quite pitying, but full of sadness and a kind of wry amusement. 

“Unless your soulmate is stew, I wouldn’t think so.” 

The thought perked Yasha up a bit. 

“It might be.” 

They’d walked through about half of the camp now, nearly towards the largest tent, and Yasha was just itching to know more. Everything she saw brought a hundred more questions, and if they weren’t still being harried by an insistent goose she’d have been asking all of them. 

Her head was on a swivel as she looked in every direction, wide eyed and fascinated. It was... 

It was the most wonderful thing she’d seen in years. 

The first thing since she’d woken at the Storm Lord’s shrine that sparked something other than duty and sorrow. 

The first time she’d wanted to see another person for more than a fight. 

Hells, just being there felt like waking up. Like she was coming back to her body for the first time in so, so long. The vibrant colours made the whole world come alive, bright and beautiful as the most perfect dream. 

Zuala would have loved it. 

And for the first time she could remember, that thought brought only sadness, not despair. 

She remembered vaguely that the geese were supposed to bring you to something that would change your life. She’d almost believe that what the goose wanted her to see was the circus itself. 

And then a loud honk from in front of them made her jump back, almost onto the goose and gaining her an immediate louder honk directly behind. 

Bo grinned down at her. 

“Ah, I think we’re getting close.” 

A slim elven woman hurried over, concern on her face as her eyes met Bo’s. 

“Molly’s trapped up a flag pole,” she said without preamble, only then spotting Yasha and their own companion. Her eyes widened, and Bo grinned, clapping Yasha hard on the back. 

“Better hurry. You don’t want another bite.” 

Becoming more confused by the minute, more anxious in a way that only highlighted how suddenly all of her emotions had switched back on, Yasha began to hurry after the woman. 

“Orna,” she said quickly by way of introduction, already almost running back the way she’d come. 

“Yasha,” the aasimar replied, speeding up as well to try and keep the pace. 

It felt... 

It felt like having a task from the Storm Lord. Like fire and purpose had coursed through her veins, melting away the shadows. The absurdity of the whole situation almost made her laugh again, and she just... couldn’t imagine what it would feel like. To properly laugh with someone else, to have fun, to care about... anything. 

She didn’t even wonder who Molly was as she hurried to rescue them, following Orna as she ducked around tents and into the largest. There were two massive poles in the middle, each supporting a spire of the canvass. 

Despite the goose in hot pursuit, Yasha couldn’t stop staring, turning slowly in circles just to try and take it all in. Sure enough, another goose was inside the tent, running around and around one of the posts and honking loudly. 

Orna’s gaze went up and Yasha’s followed it automatically, just as the other woman cried out. 

“Molly!” 

She got a blurred impression of red coat and purple hair before a tiefling almost landed on her. Her arms came up automatically, stepping in and almost falling as she caught them. 

A bright red eye cracked open under the shock of purple hair and suddenly there was a broad, massive grin. 

“Nice catch.” And then they squeaked, noticing how close they were to the ground. “Fucking GEESE!” 

Things dissolved quickly into a scrambling pile of limbs flailing in all directions. Yasha took a couple steps back, fighting to keep her balance and trying to support as many limbs as she could. A knee hooked over her shoulder and she got a hand in under the butt to haul the tiefling onto her shoulders. 

But the geese weren’t paying any attention to them. Calm as you please, they were waddling away as if nothing had happened. 

Despite the weight of a full adult on them, Yasha’s shoulders settled. One hand on a thigh clad in brightly striped tights, she tilted her head back to smile up at the tiefling. 

“Molly, I take it?” She asked. They grinned back down at her. 

“Mollymauk Tealeaf, at your service, and very grateful. And you are?” 

“Yasha Nydoorin. Are you alright?” 

Molly glanced around, checking that the geese had well and truly left. 

“I certainly seem to be.” They paused, suddenly a little chagrined. “Uh... sorry about that?” 

“It’s no trouble.” Yasha shrugged without thinking about it and Molly clutched at her head to keep from falling. A few tricky moments later they were both balanced again. 

Stifling a laugh, Molly patted her gently on the head. 

“Not that this isn’t delightful, but I think you can let me down now.” 

Cheeks flushing cherry red, Yasha bent carefully to help Molly climb down from her shoulders. Back on the ground they straightened their coat and gave her another broad, dazzling grin. 

“Do you often get chased by geese, Yasha?” 

Dimly aware her own cloak was rucked about her shoulders, Yasha gave it a couple of quick tugs and gave up on it. 

“Only today,” she admitted with a slight smile. “It’s been a weird day.” 

Molly’s grin spread even wider and they laughed, shaking their head. 

“We get a lot like that around here. Will you be sticking around?” 

Yasha glanced around self consciously, her gaze automatically finding Orna. The woman was watching her closely, but she looked... well, she looked more cheerful than anyone else had so far. 

“I... I don’t know,” she said softly, looking to Orna for permission. 

After a long moment, Orna nodded, a half smile on her face. 

“Stay for dinner at least. Since you saved Molly.” 

A day before, Yasha would have been happy to avoid the camp entirely. A week before, she’d have ducked out, made her excuses, left immediately. 

But... there was only so long she could live just for the vague directions of a distant god. She needed something else. Something more in the day to day. 

Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Her throat was beginning to ache after so long not saying a word. It had been so, so long since anybody had even touched her. The brightness of the carnival was almost overwhelming after so long alone. 

The very thought of travelling with them... only when Molly suddenly looked concerned did she realise she was crying. Didn’t seem to be able to stop. She forced a smile instead. 

“That... that would be very nice.” 

She couldn’t even imagine how long it had been since she’d had a home. 

Maybe the geese weren’t so bad after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> HK: Look I’m gonna do Baby Adventures of Jester and Artagan and I’m GONNA do Baby Adventures of Molly and Yasha (Baby Adventures of Molly is already in the works it’s going... okay?) But the Baby Adventures of Molly and Yasha might not be within this AU depending on Things. They’ve already had their goose moment.


End file.
